~manila, you're not that ugly

Last May 2010, I went on the worst bus ride of my life, something I described to friends as a nightmare I wouldn’t dare inflict on my enemies. I sat on a plastic stool on the aisle of a provincial bus for close to 4 hours of zigzaging roads from Iloilo to Caticlan, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why the conductor kept inviting people aboard as if there was still so much room for passengers! Some of the late boarders had to sit on the aisle floor for crying out loud (and still pay the full fare)!

I wouldn’t have remembered this had I not read about an overloaded bus in Cebu that killed 15 people this month. Such reckless, GREEDY practices must not only go unchecked, punish those responsible!!!

Such a stark contrast to the budget buses in New York and the U.S. East Coast I just rode on the month before, with their comfy seats, power outlets and wifi-on-board service:

Our buses don’t even come close to the Mekong Express buses of Vietnam and Cambodia, with comparable fares of $10-12 from Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, complete with snacks and an English-speaking tour guide!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ceres Bus Company, if you can’t offer premium services, then please at the very least ensure that we can travel SAFELY with you and your buses!

Sequel to “Bawal tumawid, nakamamatay”:

Received an article in the mail about a 30-year-old Pinoy who amassed over $6B in a global securities scam in early 2000:

Young Filipino is King of Boiler Rooms (April 2002, PCIJ, Part 1)
Laws and Raids Fail to Thwart Boiler Room Activities (Part 2)

This two-part series documents the life and times—as well as the large-scale fraud—perpetrated by Amador Pastrana, a 30-year old Filipino who operates what could be the biggest scam syndicate in the world. Pastrana, who is based in Manila and Los Angeles, is the brains of a global network of boiler room operations that have duped thousands of investors who had little knowledge of the financial market.

This article traces Pastrana’s rise from an impoverished student and telemarketer to head of a worldwide fraud syndicate. His story is also the story of how liberalized global financial flows, the stockmarket boom, and the dotcom bubble have provided fertile grounds for high-tech fraud. Investigators estimate that the Filipino has victimized thousands of people, including pensioners in Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa, where one of the owners of De Beers Diamonds fell prey to his schemes.

Published accounts say that Pastrana has earned about $6 billion from his network of 150 boiler room operations in nine countries, including the Philippines. These are called “boiler rooms” because they usually work out of cramped office spaces with desks and telephones and apply high-pressure sales pitches on their victims. Each office has an army of telemarketers that call up retirees, pensioners, lottery winners and then pitch stocks of “pinksheet” companies, or those whose shares sell for a fraction of a penny, listed on the unregulated Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) of the US NASDAQ.

Of course I couldn’t help but feel impressed, what with the awe I had of the 3 G’s (guns, goons, and gold) in the mafia movies of my childhood– The Godfather 1 to 3; Goodfellas, The Last Don, Casino, and even more recently, Ocean’s 11 and Catch Me If you Can –criminals glorified as glamorous, cunning and incredibly ingenious people who outwitted cops and lined their pockets with money money money. Couldn’t help but think that this story would make for a great Pinoy movie.

That awe bubble burst quickly enough, when I saw this list of overseas boiler room operations (dated 2000), which put together known overseas telemarketing scams.

Such a shame! 12 companies on that site had legit addresses in the Philippines! Some even in class A buildings in the heart of Makati! BOOOOO!!! Can’t imagine I’d been so naive as to never have expected this here…large-scale fraud masterminded by genial, non-psychotic Pinoys? Haaaaayyyyy.

Amado Pastrana, if my 10-minute research serves me right, has not been jailed or made to pay for his crime, and if what I picked up from another blog is correct, has resorted to spending his billions on social (sosyal?), partyclubbing companies for gays: CircuitAsia, Generation Pink Magazine, and Fabuloush.com

I find it disconcerting that (if the above is true), he hasn’t opted to keep a less visible profile, and that it’s actually very possible to see him around Manila. He’d be 36 now…and would probably frequent the same malls, restaurants, clubs as people in our circle.

Tsk tsk.

Doing the email rounds:

It happened to one of our good friends.

The girl left the office after working hours and saw a little child crying on the road.

Feeling pity for the child, she went to ask what happened. The child said, “I am lost. Can you take me home please?”

Then the child gave her a slip of paper and gave the girl her address. And the girl, being an average kind person, didn’t suspect anything and took the child there.

And there when they arrived at the “child’s home”, the kind hearted girl pressed the door bell and she was electrocuted as the bell was wired with high voltage, and fainted. The next day when she woke up, she found herself in an empty house up in the hills, naked. Condoms were all thrown around with semen flowing. There were at least about 20 condoms! She did not even see her assailant.

That’s why nowadays crimes are targeted to kind people like us.

Next time if the same situation occurs, never bring the child to the intended place. If the child insists, then bring the child to the police station. Lost children are best to sent to police stations.

Please send this to all your female friends/colleagues, and your friends with girlfriends and friends with wives.

It is better to receive this a thousand times than be a victim once!

Thank you.

Got this from my dad. Sharing it not to dissuade people from going to Anawangin altogether, but to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the dangers/risks in this “untouched” place..

I was always under the impression that coves are safe for swimming because the underwater current (is undertow the correct word for this?) there is not so strong…

Of course one can still insist on going to Anawangin (I’ve never been there myself, but it does scream adventure! you can look at pics here), but I think it’s also good to consider the things pointed out in the article in the places we visit (proximity to health/emergency facilities, attitude/openness of locals, etc.)

P.S. I notice that Daet, Camarines Norte is getting on the tourist radar more and more these days.. Daet is my dad’s hometown and I’ve been going to Bagasbas beach yearly since I was young. I know it’s being promoted as a surfing destination, especially with Seair flying there again twice a week (they resumed the flights just before Holy Week, after 15 years!)… and I do hope it brings in more income for the town, but my relatives who still live there always warn vs. swimming in the water, even close to the shore.. “Nangunguha yung dagat (the sea takes lives),” they’d say. I’m not a surfer, so I don’t know if that’s a non-issue for surfers (is the surfboard also a lifesaver since it floats? I’m clueless).

Behind the Beauty Of Anawangin!! THIS IS A TRUE STORY!!
(a forwarded email)

This is the story behind the death of our dear officemate “Architect Melvin H. Maxino”…..

Si mel happens to be a friend of my husband kaya close kami,mabuti syang kaibigan,magaling sa magic tricks, kenkoy, magaling makisama kaya lahat sa office vibes nya….wala kang perang pang-load…loloadan ka nya, everytime dadaan ako sa table nya, he would always ask me “Ate len gusto mo ng biscuit?candy?,kahit ano na meron sya.”Si mel din ang YB partner ko sa office…..pero ang talagang kinahangaan ko kay mel ay ang pagmamahal nya sa magulang at kapatid nya,iniisip nya palagi kung paano nya matutulungan ang mama at papa nya…kaya pati pagtitinda ng chicharon sa office namin kina-career nya (pero in fairness ubos agad kasi masarap at mura pa) sigurado mamimiss namin ang chicharon ni mel.Sayang nga lang maaga syang nawala….alam kong sa kabaitan nya, marami pa dapat magagandang bagay na darating sa buhay nya….pero eto na nga iniwan nya na tayo….his back in the hands of our creator…at tanging ang diyos lamang ang nakakaalam kung bakit kailangan mangyari ito..but i know GOD has a plan lalo sa mga naiwang mahal sa buhay ni mel. Sa’yo mel mami-miss ka namain lahat…we pray that you may rest in peace and you will always be remembered in our hearts……

ETO NA PO ANG KWENTO:

Behind the Beauty of Anawangin

Holy week,..long weekend ng March, nagkasundong mag out-of-town ang sampung magbabarkada. Ang napiling lugar, Anawangin. Para medyo malayo naman sa polusyon ng Maynila at ma-relax naman ang mga utak mula sa araw-araw na stress ng opisina. A week before pa lang nakapagpa-reserve na kami ng tickets sa bus, seat # 1 to 10 pa nga kami,ganun ka-excited. Wednesday 12midnight ang byahe namin, mabilis at maluwang naman ang kalsada kaya alas-tres pa lang ng madaling araw ng huwebes nasa SanAntonio na ang grupo. Ang San Antonio ay isang bayan sa Zambales na jump-off para papuntang Anawangin.

Madilim pa ng mga oras na yun kaya tambay muna kami sa plaza ng San Antonio, kwentuhan at kulitan muna habang nagpapa-umaga para makabili sa palengke ng iba pang madadalang pagkain, habang ang iba’y nakikipag-negotiate na ng tricycle patungong Pundakit (shoreline para maka-arkila ng bangka patungong Anawangin. Very entertaining ang mga tricycle drivers (dahil kikita nga naman sila sa amin), halos lahat nag-aagawan para lang kontratahin sila, nakilala Ko dun si Kodz, siya yung pinili namin kasi siya yung mukhang mas informative, yung iba halatang pera lang ang habol. Ayon kay Kodz lagi siyang naghahatid dun, marami na rin daw siyang suking manilenyo at labing-isang beses na daw siyang nakapunta sa Anawangin mismo. Sa tagal ng kwentuhan namin wala siyang nababanggit na delikado o sakunang pangyayari sa lugar, pawang kagandahan lang ng lugar, binigay pa nga niya yung cell number niya para ma-text ko raw siya kung pupunta uli kami dun.

Mga 15 minutes from San Antonio to Pundakit, pagdating dun negotiate na kami ng bangka, nakilala namin si Vic, isang bangkero sa Pundakit, wala kaming ibang usapan kundi kung magkano ang kontrata sa kanya at kung kailan kami muli susunduin mula Anawangin.

Around 7am nasa Anawangin na kami, hanap agad ng magandang camp area sa gitna ng matataas na pine trees, di ko ikakaila na maganda ang lugar, tahimik at relaxing. Habang nag-aayos kami ng mga gamit at nagpi-pitch ng mga tents, lumapit ang isang ale sa amin, maganda ang ngiti at mukhang mabait, malumanay ang boses niya ng sinabi niyang siya ang caretaker ng isla, siya daw si Aling Ligaya. Umalis saglit at bumalik na may kasama pang isang babae, buhat nila ang isang maayos na papag na gawa sa kawayan, binaba nila sa gitna ng area namin at sinabing patungan daw ng mga pagkain o anumang gamit. Sabay alis, walang ibang sinabi kung may bayad man yun o wala, pero napagtanong namin sa mga katabi naming naka-camp na dun na P50 per head at per day daw.

Habang nag-aayos ang grupo may mga nagluluto na ng pancakes for breakfast, set na din ng tripod ng camera at picture taking na agad, halatang sabik ang isat-isa sa muling pagsasama ng tropa, matagal na rin kasing walang get-together dahil puro busy sa trabaho at kayod talaga para sa mga magagandang plano sa pamilya.

After breakfast excited na ang lahat lumublob sa dagat, kanya-kanyang labas na ng mga snorkel, goggles, vest at fins, makikita sa mukha ng bawat isa ang excitement na i-enjoy at i-explore ang lugar. Di alintana ng lahat ang lamig ng tubig basta sige lublob, kwentuhan, tawanan, halos wala ring pahinga ang mga digicams sa kakakuha ng pictures. Enjoy ang lahat, walang kj, lahat nakangiti, nakatawa, masayang-masaya ang tropa, ang tropa na walang ibang hangarin kundi ang i-appreciate ang ganda ng Anawangin.

Kinagabihan, set-up na ng lamp, habang nagluluto ng dinner ang ilan, nakapalibot naman ang iba sa kamustahang kwentuhan, bumangka si Mel, tropa ko since college na arkitekto na, bumanat na naman siya ng mga magic tricks niya kasama ang isa pang tropa na lagi niyang nililibang, kami naman kahit bilib sa ginagawa niya di na lang naming pinapahalata. Natatandaan ko pa nun na nagbilin ako ng pasalubong kay Mel kasi naka-line up na siya sa opisina nila na pupuntang Hawaii. Natapos ang gabing yun sa malalakas na tawanan at masasayang kwentuhan.

Kinabukasan, Biyernes Santo. Snorkling uli ang ilan sa tropa, explore uli sa islang may magagandang corals at makukulay na isda, halos di mo mamamalayan ang oras sa sobrang pagkalibang. Pagdating ng Lunch time, sabay nagsalu-salo ang buong tropa sa pagkain, pagkatapos yung iba umidlip sa pagkapagod. Bandang hapon ng nagkayayaan yung apat pa naming kasama na mag-swimming uli, dalawa sa kanila ang naka-vest kasama si Gwen, girlfriend ni Mel. Di naming akalaing may naghihintay na sakuna para sa kanila ng mga panahon na yon. Habang nagpapahinga kami sa camp site, bandang alas-kwatro ng hapon, nagulantang ang katahimikan dahil sa pagdating ng isang kasama nila Mel galing sa dagat, tumatakbo’t hinihingal habang sinasabing “nalunod si……nalunod si……”…..di pa man din siya tapos sa sinasabi niya agad naming dinampot yung natitirang vest at snorkel, dahil sa pagka-intindi naming nalulunod pa lang siya ng mga panahong yon.

Hinihingal sa pagkakatakbo ng pagdating namin sa lugar, marami ng nakapalibot na tao. Pagpasok ko sa loob, nakita ko ng umiiyak si Gwen sa tabi ni Mel. Si Mel walang malay at langtang gulay habang sini-cpr ng dalawang lalaking di namin kilala, yung ibang kasama naming nangontrata na ng bangka para madala agad si Mel sa hospital. Habang nasa bangka kahit walang malay patuloy naming kinakausap si Mel at pinipisil ang mga daliri sa kamay at paa niya. Halos paliparin ng bangkero ang bangka laban sa mga malalakas na alon ng hapon na yun. Bawat minuto parang ga-oras ang tagal ng byahe namin dahil sa layo. Tinatanong naming ang diyos kung bakit, mabait naman si Mel, mabuting anak sa pamilya niya, matulungin sa tropa, kwento pa nga ng girlfriend niya may ipon siya para sa pagpapatayo ng bahay para sa nanay niya, marami pa siyang gagawin….bakit si mel?

Pagdating ng Pundakit, ang daming tao pero kakaunti ang nagkukusang tumulong, kailangan mo pang murahin para tulungan ka sa pagbuhat. May nurse na lalaking lumapit he knows cpr daw, kaya bomba uli kami kay mel habang hinihintay yung ambulansya na pinatawag ng pulis na nakatalaga dun. Ilang minuto din bago dumating yung ambulansya. Kinailangan pa naming buhatin ang mabigat na katawan ni mel papunta sa gate ng resort para maisakay siya sa ambulansya, tantsa ko nasa 20 meters din ang layo. Dun namin na-realize na ganun kalayo ang tatahakin sa tuwing magkakaroon ng sakuna sa Anawangin.

Pagkarga kay Mel sa ambulansya, salpak agad ng driver ng oxygen kay mel, akala naming magiging ok na ang lahat, tsaka namin nalaman na ibabyahe pa sa kabilang town (San Marcelino), dahil wala raw hospital sa San Antonio,..Ang tanong, Bakit walang hospital sa San Antonio? Ang nagpapalakas ng loob namin ay yung maayos pa ang kulay ni Mel at may pulso pa siya , alam namin na aabot siya kung madadala lang agad sa Ospital. Pero sadyang ayaw makisama ng tadhana ang tagal na naman ng byahe namin bago makarating sa Ospital. Pagdating sa San Marcelino Hospital, ilang minuto lang ng mailipat si Mel sa kama ng ospital, dun na sinabi ng duktor na din na niya kinaya…wala na si Mel..Ganun kabilis ang pangyayari..Di man katanggap-tanggap.

Pagsunod ng ibang kasama namin sa San Marcelino Hospital, dun namin sila nakausap tungkol sa pangyayari. Ayon kay German, (isa sa apat na magkakasama), tahimik at mababaw ang tubig, umabot man ng ilang metro mula sa pampang ang babaw pa rin daw. Nung nagsi-swimming sila, medyo may distansiya si Mel sa tatlong kasama, nagulat na lang sila ng biglang nagpupumiglas at sumisigaw si Mel na para bang may puwersang humihila sa kanya na sadyang di niya makayanang labanan. Magaling lumangoy si Mel, at lalong hindi siya lasing, wala sa sampung magkakasama ang nakainom, kaya nagtataka sila kung bakit di niya magawang makalangoy. Sumaklolo si German pero paglapit niya kay Mel di niya akalaing ganun kalakas ang pwersa ng current sa ilalim ,gayung tahimik naman ang tubig ng lumusong sila. Parang may halimaw sa ilalim na gutom sa pagkuha ng buhay ng tao.,..di kinaya ni German kaya pinilit nilang makaahon agad para makahingi ng tulong. May sumaklolo pero di rin nagtagumpay na masagip si Mel, nung may pangalawang sumaklolo tsaka lang daw nakuha si Mel na wala ng malay. Ganun daw ang pangyayari. Paano pala kung walang kusang tumulong?..malamang pati katawan ng biktima ay din a makuha.

Walang “Danger” signs sa paligid,..wala ring Lifeguard,..wala ring salbabida man lang na pwede mong ibato sa nalulunod. Para saan yung sinisingil ng caretaker ng isla?…ano lang ba yung maglagay man lang sana ng signs para aware ang mga tao na ganun pala ka-delikado sa lugar nila. Hindi kapakanan ng mga campers ang priority ng caretaker.

Lahat ng ganda ng Anawangin ay nabura dahil sa pangyayaring yon, wala ka ng proteksiyon sa isla ang layo pa ng hospital na pagdadalhan sayo kung may sakuna. Sabi pa ng isang nurse sa hospital na nakausap namin, di lang minsan may ganung pangyayari, dati daw may pamilya pang nalunod, meron din daw isang case na swimmer pa yung nalunod, Puro dayo daw yung mga nagbubuwis ng buhay, halos taun-taon daw. Bakit di man lang nababalita?..maging sa internet walang ibang balita kundi kagandahan ng lugar.. Kaya pala tahimik lang ang mga locals, mga tricycle drivers at mga bangkero dun, kasi pag kinuwento nga naman nila masisira ang
hanapbuhay nila. Hanapbuhay nilang pagsasakripisyo ng buhay ng ibang tao.

Kung mahal mo ang kaibigan mo o pamilya mo, huwag mong ilapit sa mapanuksong ganda ng Anawangin, marami pang ibang magandang lugar. Gawin nating si Mel na ang huling biktima, at sigurado akong ikatutuwa ni Mel na makatulong tayo sa ibang tao na malayo sa sakuna. “Don’t be a victim behind the beauty of Anawangin!!”

At para sa’yo Mel, ang pagdarasal namin para sa Mapayapang Paglalakbay. Habang-buhay kang nasa puso namin. May you Rest in Peace.

***********************************************************************

Maganda mang tignan ang lugar ng Anawangin, pero may multong nakatago sa gandang nakikita natin. Huwag na po nating pabayaang may madagdag pa sa mga buhay na nawala sa lugar na iyan, huwag nyo pong isapalaran ang inyong mga buhay! Magandang pakikisama ng mga nagpapatakbo at nangangalaga ng Anawangin lalo na
ni Aling Ligaya hindi po matutumbasan ng buhay na lalamunin pa ng isla ng Anawangin!!!!!

Mel, maraming salamat sa iyong kabaitan hindi mo pa man oras ngunit kailangan naming tanggapin ang katotohanang binawi ka na ng Maykapal. Marami ka ng taong natulungan, marami ka ng mapasayang tao, mahirap man sa amin pero kailangan mo ng tumuloy sa iyong pupuntahan. Alam kong nasa tabi ka ng Diyos na Maykapal, at alam kong magiging masaya ka dyan. Huwag mo na kaming alalahanin dahil binigyan mo na kami ng mga alaalang hindi namin malilimutan, napakabait mong kapatid, tito at lalong lalo na bilang anak sa mga magulang natin. Humayo ka na at matahimik sa kandungan ng Panginoong Diyos. Maraming maraming salamat kapatid ko!!!! Mahal na mahal ka namin!!!!

MICHAELA MAXINO HERNAEZ
Sister of Melvin

Related links:
Inspiring Anawangin (Feb. 25, 2008) – Photo album (multiply) of my friend, Rj. With travel info to Anawangin.

Got this in the mail from my dad. No details to verify the source or truthfulness of these incidents, but as always, better to be safe than sorry. Especially since these are places I take for granted as “safe”!

dear friends,

I just met with a friend yesterday who had just emerged from a 9-hour ordeal. he was kidnapped in the heart of the makati business district!

around noon the day before, he emerged from lpl towers on leviste st., salcedo village to go to a lunch meeting in pasong tamo. he decided not to take his car because parking in makati can be a hassle. talking on the phone, he hopped into the first available cab.

later he realized the cab was taking a route that was unusual. he called the driver’s attention to this but was ignored. the cab entered into urban road, the road by urban bank which is parallel to buendia. it stopped and three other men got in.

he tried to struggle but they stabbed his wrist which of course bled profusely. when he heard the sound of a gun being cocked, he stopped struggling and gave in to all their demands. they had him withdraw from all four bank accounts, took his cel phone and palm pilot and dropped him off in cavite somewhere near trece martires. the motorists ignored him as he tried to flag them down but he was finally able to make it back to makati somehow.

he reported the incident to the makati police and was told that it was the third such incident in the week. one happened to a student who got a cab in rockwell, the other to a citibank female executive who was taking a cab from paseo de roxas to glorietta but ended up in cavite. the cabs were stolen. i assume all targets were well-dressed (my friend was in coat and tie) and upwardly-mobile looking. where hapless expats and tourist used to be the victims of similar crimes, young executies and students are now the new targets. the please warn your friends to be careful about taxicabs especially in the makati district.

perhaps the best way to take a taxi would be in the queues where they hand you a piece of paper with all the taxi info and the ltfrb number, or to call for one from a reputable cab company such as golden or r e.

I’m not one to vouch for forwarded warnings like this, but at 1pm last Sunday, I was at Shell Libis in line for gas, when a guy approached me selling air freshener at half the price. He said they were launching a new brand to rival California Scents, and so he was offering huge discounts on his product. Didn’t think ill of it, but couldn’t be bothered to buy fruity smells. What spared me the ether spray–my nose or luck? In any case, need more presence of mind next time.

NOTE: Just been told it’s a hoax. Looleeloo…

WHAT KIND OF PERFUME DO YOU WEAR?

it was about 3 weeks ago, I was at the Shell station getting diesel. It was about 11:30pm. I was approached by 2 men and 2 women in a car. The man that was driving asked me ‘What kind of perfume do you wear?’ I was a bit confused and I asked him ‘Why?’ He said ‘We are selling some name brand perfumes, at cheap prices.’ I said I had no money. He then reached out of the car and handed me paper that was laminated; it had many perfumes on it. I looked quickly at it and gave it back. I said, I have no money.

He said it is OK, we take cheques , cash or credit cards. Then the people in the car began to laugh. I just got in my car and said no thanks.

Then I received this e-mail yesterday and it sent chills up my spine.

Dear Friends:
I know not all of you are women that I am sending this to, but I am hoping you will share this w ith yo ur wives, daughters, mother, sisters, etc. Our world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe bombs in mailboxes and sickos in parking lots with perfume. Be careful. I was approached yesterday afternoon around 13:30 pm in a car park by two males who asked what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if I’d like to sample some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at a very reasonable rate I probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail some weeks ago warning of a ‘Wanna smell this neat perfume?’scam. Someone walks up to you at the malls or in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF PERFUME that they are selling at a cheap price. THIS IS NOT PERFUME…IT IS ETHER! When you sniff it, you’ll pass out. They’ll take your wallet, your valuables And heaven knows what else. The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for SOmeone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at them and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work.

For everyone’s information and guidance.

Incidents of carnapping or taking of cars at gunpoint have been taking place in and around the following areas of Quezon City:

1. Quezon Avenue – EDSA underpass
2. Dark streets in the areas around Morato and around West Triangle
3. Some areas in Teacher’s Village
4. Commonwealth – Tandang Sora overpass
5. Stretch of EDSA
6. Fly over from Libis going to Katipunan, also the underpass tunnel connected to the flyover (carnappers prime maneuver is to sandwich the victim’s car between two cars, one in front and the other behind).

Similar incidents have also taken place in other parts of Metro Manila but Quezon City is the epicenter of the activities. Carnappers usually victimize between 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., although some operations are known to have taken place earlier.

It i s suggested by police authorities that when traveling during these hours, one must take the route where there are many vehicles, people and police outposts.